How to Get a Refund from the App Store

Have you ever downloaded an app for your iPhone or iPad only to be severely disappointed because you found it not to be compatible with your iPhone or iPad (likely because it was designed for the other type of iOS device) or discovered it didn’t even download at all? You may have also accidentally downloaded a completely bogus app that somehow snuck its way into the App Store, such as the Fake Pokemon App.

This app, called Pokemon Yellow, reached #2 in Top Paid apps, according to Gizmodo but wasn’t even designed my Nintendo. The biggest problem, though, is that this fake app — which, in case you missed what I just said, is a paid app — doesn’t even work. We won’t get into the problems about Apple’s app review process, but this app was downloaded by thousands of users who now are out cold hard cash for a useless app.

So what can you do if you unknowingly downloaded a fake app — or any other type of useless app — from the App Store? Luckily, Apple does have a little-known refund policy for iOS users who download apps that meet strict criteria, which we discovered thanks to Gizmodo:

I didn’t receive this application.

I inadvertently purchased this application.

This application does not function as expected.

This application is not compatible with my device.

I have another purchase or download-relation question.

To start the refund process, you’ll need to open your account in iTunes and then check your purchase history by clicking See All under Purchase History. Then, to report your specific type of problem, scroll down to find the button that says Report a Problem and then click on it. You’ll then choose the app for which you want a refund, and then select the problem you’re having from the list above. You’ll also need to explain the problem, so be sure you have a legitimate reason for requesting a refund and for selecting this specific reason.

Keep in mind, however, that if your real problem is fraud, this is not the way to report a problem. Fellow LockerGnome writer Matt Ryan has been fighting an uphill battle with fraudulent activity occurring with his iTunes account for several months after someone hacked his iTunes account and made hundreds of dollars in fraudulent app purchases. In this case, Matt says:

“In the case of fraud, Apple actually has a support line set up to deal with that issue. Though iTunes itself doesn’t have phone support (you usually have to submit a ticket via email on the support site), you can get resolution for fraud cases fairly quickly. At the very least, you can report the incident so Apple can have record of it if it comes to prosecution.”

These two processes are the best ways to get a refund from the App Store. Have you ever downloaded an app in error from the App Store and tried to get a refund? If so, were you successful? Feel free to share your stories in the comments.

You have JavaScript disabled, or you're blocking advertisements and safe scripts on LockerGnome.com. As such, you will not be able to subscribe to the LockerGnome newsletter until you refresh this page and allow the scripts to run.